Underway for Mazatlan…
After almost exactly 22 months, we finally threw off the lines and left Huatulco yesterday. We’re sitting in the pilothouse enjoying the second day of a pleasant 235 miles of our first leg to Mazatlan – hoping to either anchor in Acapulco if we need rest, or complete another 110 miles and drop the hook in Zihuatenejo for a few days.
Last night was magic…only one ship came up on the radar, the sea was like glass, and we got “torpedoed” by iridescent dolphins more than once. This morning there was a spectacular manta ray ballet, and we watched dozens of them leaping by twos to flap up to 10 feet in the air and land with a thwap.
Sea Turtle Saying Hello as We Pass
All afternoon we’ve been seeing huge turtles…hawksbill and leatherback at least, up to 5 feet long, they raise their heads quizzically as we motor past.
It was hard to leave – Huatulco has been a lovely place to spend time, both for me while Ole’s at work, and for him during his time off.
Marina Chahue had its challenges. The docks are unstable and poorly designed, although about a third of them got rebuilt while we were there. The power was unstable, and the fact they don’t use marine electrical wire in dock construction meant we blew through a set of zincs every 3 month. They use the parking lot as a storage lot for dredge fill and gravel that fills in the potholes after every rainy season, but since it’s dry for 9 months a year, probably half that dust ends up all over the boats, inside and out. The surge inside the marina means having to constantly reset mooring lines. And we were surprised the other day when the marina manager admitted he didn’t know anything about tying up boats.
As disappointing as the marina is, the little town of La Crucecita and all the friends we’ve made here have more than made up for it.
Goodbye Misty Michael
First, there’s Gerry and Chris from Misty Michael, the unofficial “dockmasters” of the place. While Ole was away, they fed me dinner more than once, made sure to introduce me around to the locals, and always made sure I didn’t spend more time alone than was healthy. They treated us like family, and their hospitality and kindness made our stay something we’ll never forget.
And Margarita and Goyo from Paesano…what can we say. They are living embodiments of Joy, taking delight in everything and everyone around them, volunteering for a local foundation that helps indigenous villages with education and health care, and stepping up to offer us help and kindness before we even thought to ask. Their generosity of spirit is more moving than I can say.
We know as we head further north up the Pacific coast, the towns will become more “civilized,” and the marina facilities more posh. But as our first long stay in Mexico, Huatulco has proven to be safe, hospitable, charming, and memorable.
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